WEST SUSSEX COELIAC GROUP

Newsletter – January 2019

EVENTS TO LOOK FORWARD TO ……

AGM 2019 followed by Quiz/Fish & Chips supper - Saturday 2nd March 2019 - Angmering Village Hall, Station Road, Angmering, BN16 4HL from 5.00 pm to 9.00 pm. See more details below and to book your supper!

COELIAC CHILDREN’S FAMILY DAY at Butlin’s – Saturday 18th May 2019 - Butlin’s Bognor Regis, Upper Bognor Road, Bognor Regis PO21 1JJ from 10 am to 6 pm Booking essential; please contact ANNA at westsussexcoeliacgroup@hotmail.co.uk to save a place for your Coeliac child and family

COFFEE mornings/afternoons are being held as follows, just pop in:

CHICHESTER at Cloisters Café, 2, St Richards Walk, Chichester, PO19 1QA (in the Cathedral complex). 10 am to 11am Wednesday 20th February | Thursday 29th August 3 pm to 4pm Wednesday 22nd May | Thursday 14th November

HASSOCKS Coffee/Brunch at The Barn Restaurant, South Downs Nurseries, Brighton Road, Hassocks BN6 9LY 9.30 am to 11.00 am Saturdays: 2nd March 2019 | 1st June 2019 | 7th September 2019

HORSHAM – Coffee Morning at Stooks, Newbridge Nurseries, Broadbridge Heath RH12 3LN from 9.30 am Saturday 6th April 2019.

WORTHING Coffee Morning at Food Restaurant, 6-8 New Street, Worthing BN11 3B from 10 to 11.30 am. 12th February 2019 | 12th March 2019 | 9th April 2019 | 14th May 2019 | 11th June 2019 | 9th July 2019.

COMING UP:

Another Chinese at The Lion, Pagham! This was so delicious, we are organising another! To receive details as soon as we have the date, please email ANNA at westsussex@coeliac.org.uk or write to her at 155, Barrack Lane, Bognor Regis, PO21 4ED enclosing an SAE.

Bowling and Burger evening, Chichester – to receive details when we have the date, please contact ANNA at westsussex@coeliac.org.uk

Any other events you would like to see us doing? Any restaurants that you know are good, can they accommodate a Coeliac Group meal? Let us know!

Photograph Consent – photographs may be taken at events and used on our website, social media, publications

and other promotional material, exclusively to promote the work of Coeliac UK in helping people to live gluten free through fundraising, research, campaigning and membership support. If you do not wish your or your child’s photo to be taken, please let the organiser know when you arrive at the event.

COMMITTEE CHANGES

Current Committee Members Phillipa Caddy, John and Nicky Johnson, Chris and Jenny Martin and Andy and Pam Whittaker are all retiring from the Committee at the AGM on 2 March. Some have health concerns and family commitments and John and Nicky have served for 8 years! What a grand finale to their long reign with the Food Fair last year which John chaired so brilliantly.

But it’s not goodbye to any of these lovely talented people as every single one wants to continue to assist the Group as volunteers. So, Chris and Jenny will still run the coffee mornings in Horsham, Phillipa the coffee mornings in Hassocks, and John and Nicky/Andy and Pam the coffee mornings in Worthing.

We want to thank each one for all their wisdom and help on the Committee.

No Spoilers now for our future plans – come and find out at the AGM and have a fun evening at the Quiz/Fish and Chip Supper!

2019 AGM COELIAC UK WEST SUSSEX LOCAL GROUP

AGM Saturday 2nd March 2019 from 5 pm to 6 pm

Angmering Village Hall, Station Road, Angmering, Littlehampton BN16 4HL

A Quiz/Fish & Chips supper immediately follows the AGM from 6 – 9pm. Booking essential, see Booking Form below.

AGENDA

Welcome and Introduction

Apologies for absence

Highlights for 2018: Anna Henderson, Group Organiser

Group Finances: John Johnson, Treasurer

Future Plans for the West Sussex Group : Anna Henderson

Election of committee members

Questions

Any other business

Close Committee members - Phillipa Caddy, John and Nicky Johnson, Chris and Jenny Martin, Andy and Pam Whittaker - will be retiring at the AGM (see above). Anna Henderson and Tracey Martin are standing for re-election. Applications are now open for the following Committee roles vacated:

Treasurer

Membership secretary

Minutes secretary

We also welcome applicants for the following roles:

Events Organiser/co ordinator

Younger members Contact

Horsham Area Contact

Worthing Area Contact

Should you have any nominations for yourself or anyone else or wish to enquire after any roles, please email the Group Organiser, Anna Henderson at westsussex@coeliac.org.uk or write to her at 155, Barrack Lane, Bognor Regis PO21 4ED.

FISH & CHIPS BOOKING FORM

Saturday 2 March 6 pm

Angmering Village Hall, Station Road, Angmering, BN16 4HL

(park at hall/additional parking in nearby GP surgery/pharmacy car park)

Please select from the following –

ALL meals are £8 each. The COD and CHICKEN meals are available Gluten free and

Dairy Free, as well as standard non GF. The BEAN meal is only available GF and DF.

Please insert number of meals required by each selection below and advise of any

other dietary requirements:

COD meal – medium cod, chips & mushy peas - Non GF …….. GF/Dairy free …….

CHICKEN meal – grilled chicken breast with chips - Non GF …….. GF/Dairy free …….

BEAN meal – bean falafel and chips - GF/Dairy free …….

Vinegar/TK/pickles (all GF) will be distributed at the meal.

BYO alcohol & soft drinks, together with any glasses you will want to use. Paper cups

and table water will be provided. Tea and Coffee available.

Name …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Email/address/phone …………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Payment: online Banking £………………..…… Cheque enclosed £……………………………

_____________________________________________________________________

To reserve places please ensure both the completed booking form and full payment

have been received by Anna Henderson by 11 February 2019

Either email your meal selections to Anna at westsussex@coeliac.org.uk or post the

completed Booking form together with any cheque in payment - please make

cheque payable to “Coeliac UK – West Sussex” (write “Fish supper” on the back) to

Anna Henderson at 155, Barrack Lane, Bognor Regis PO21

Our preference is payment by Bank Transfer please: “Coeliac UK – West Sussex”,

Lloyds Bank, sort code 30-94-28, a/c no 63203368. Reference “Fish supper”

After the meal will be a Quiz (many thanks to Richard Stanfield for organising)

COELIAC UK WEST SUSSEX LOCAL GROUP

AGM

Saturday 10th March 2018 – 2.15 to 4.30

Pulborough Village Hall, Swan View Pulborough, RH20 2BF

Minutes

1. WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION

ANNA HENDERSON welcomed everyone to the meeting and introduced the current members of

the committee:

Anna Henderson – Group Organiser

Tracey Martin - Group Secretary

John Johnson – Treasurer

Nicky Johnson – email membership secretary

Andy Whittaker – Minutes secretary

Pam Whittaker – Postal secretary

Chris Martin

Jenny Martin

Phillipa Caddy

2. APOLIGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies for absence were received from Thora Sharp, Maria Hodgkiss and Rosalind Buckland.

3. HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2017 AND FUTURE PLANS : ANNA HENDERSON GROUP

ORGANISER

The Minutes of last year's AGM were amended to show the correct figure of £101 donated by

Pagham Christmas meal for Coeliac Research. They were then approved unanimously.

ANNA explained that this was the first year for the Committee in their current roles and with Anna

as organiser. It had been a steep learning curve for us all and she thanked everyone for their

patience.

We have no source of funds other than what is raised in raffles or cake sales or kind donations. We

therefore do try to keep expenses to a minimum. We sometimes get information about events at

short notice and only have the time and financial resources to send out the details by email. ANNA

reminded members to please keep their contact details up-to-date on the Coeliac UK website

including their election to receive information from us. If they don't have email please ask a friend

or relative to let them use their email to receive the occasional email from us.

West Sussex is a big area, the Committee therefore decided our support for our members would be

more effective if we divide the county up roughly into the areas where the Committee live as each

Contact has personal knowledge of their locality – therefore :

Phillipa Caddy is the contact for the Hassocks area.

Chris and Jenny Martin and Tracey Martin live in Horsham. Jenny is the contact for the

Horsham area.

John and Nicky Johnson and Pam and Andy Whittaker are contacts for the Worthing area.

Anna Henderson is the contact for Bognor/Chichester area.

Future activities of the Group will focus on what you, the members tell us you want rather than us

putting on an event hoping it will be liked. The survey at the beginning of last year showed that

you would like tastings, cookery demonstrations, food fair, children's events, more in the

Chichester/Bognor area and tips on managing the gluten free diet.

Last year the Committee organised 3 Christmas meals across the county, tastings at Sainsburys and

M&S and held regular coffee mornings in Chichester, Worthing and Hassocks.

This year the Committee are planning a GF Food Fair in Boxgrove Village Hall near Chichester on

6th October. Also it’s the 50th anniversary of Coeliac UK this year, ANNA is organising a Big

Family Celebration GF meal and Fun Day at Butlins Bognor in May. All 150 tickets have been

sold. Next year, we will organise more Tastings as they are very popular.

Details of all our events are in the Newsletters and on the Coeliac UK website.

If you’d like us to do anything else, just get in touch.

4. GROUP FINANCES

JOHN JOHNSON – group treasurer gave a summary of the accounts for the year ending

December 2017 – copy below.

Our funds were boosted by a Legacy from the estate of Stuart Burrell – the former Group Organiser

of the old Sussex Local Coeliac Group. It was agreed that the legacy should be spent partly for

Coeliac children and therefore the 50th anniversary family party at Butlins, Bognor and partly on the

Food Fair.

5. ELECTION OF COMMITTEE

All the members of the Committee are standing for re-election but ANNA explained that there is

room for more to join if anyone would like to put their name forward. The election of the

Committee was Proposed by Maggie Brackpool and Seconded by Joan Holgate and carried

unanimously.

6. ANY QUESTIONS AND ANY OTHER BUSINESS

The only question from the floor was 'who started Coeliac UK'. It was confirmed that Elizabeth

Segall and Peter Benenson in 1968.

There being no further Questions or Any Other Business the formal meeting closed at 3.15.

7. After a break for tea, home-made GF cakes and a raffle we had a very interesting and

informative talk and demonstration - entitled Healthier Gluten Free Eating - by Melanie Luckes.

Melanie is the owner of Luckes WellBeing practice and cafe in Chichester. Melanie is a nutritionist,

herbalist, homeopath and a trained chef. She is also a Coeliac.

Melanie outlined the importance of our following a better nutritional balance to our GF diets.

Including more vegetables and creating dishes with fresh ingredients is easier and quicker as well as

more delicious than we might think. She demonstrated an apricot cake and some protein ball

snacks.

The afternoon ended at 4.30pm with ANNA thanking everyone for attending the afternoon.

West Sussex Coeliac Group Annual Accounts Summary

Period 1/1/2017 – 31/12/2017

Opening Balance 2,634.65

Income

Raffle & coffee Mornings 195.60

Donations 90.00

Legacy 1,493.20 ( to be used for children & Food Fair )

Xmas & Burns night meals 1,756.00

Newsletter postage 18.00

Total 3,552.80

Expenditure

Xmas & Burns night meals 1,354.00

Coeliac UK research 101.00

Coeliac UK donation 500.00

Merchandise costs 358.49

AGM Hall hire 70.65

Newsletter printing 79.00

Postage 46.92

Expenses 8.00

CAF Bank charges 5.00

Total 2,523.06

Closing EOY balance 3,664.39 ( Opening balance + ( Income - Expenditure ))

John Johnson

Treasurer

10th March 2018

EATING OUT IN NEW YORK 2018

“My husband and I recently spent a very enjoyable week in New York, my first visit to this amazing city. I was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease 16 years ago. I was slightly concerned about how I would get on with my Gluten Free diet as I was told that there are many “Fast Food” and “Street Corner” cooking places that wouldn’t be suitable.

We met up with my cousin from Vancouver, Canada. She was able to recommend two of the eateries in New York as there are also branches in Canada. “Wholefoods Market” a superb store that sells groceries, fresh produce and a fantastic range

of “take out” foods, all extremely well marked for Gluten Free and other allergens that they might contain. The other restaurant/take out place she recommended was “Panera-Bread”. At first, I thought they would not be able to cater for a Gluten Free diet, but as it happened, despite the name including “bread” they did many dishes (without bread) that were clearly marked and suitable for Coeliacs.

We visited a restaurant in Macy’s called “Stella 34”, and it was brilliant for Gluten Free. We actually ate in this restaurant twice as we felt very confident with what we were eating and it was delicious food, we were also offered Gluten Free bread immediately when asked about their Gluten Free options.

We also tried a French Restaurant “Petit Poulet”. This was situated close to The Empire State Building. We had a super meal here and they were excellent at adjusting their menu to be Gluten Free.

Another restaurant was an Italian, “Bistango” situated on 3rd Avenue and 29th East Street. They were excellent for Gluten Free with Gluten Free pasta on offer too.

To conclude, I can actually say that the good restaurants catered very well for Gluten Free but I would just advise to avoid any street food and the many “fast food” restaurants.

And do be aware that 20% tipping is expected.”

Rosalyn Buckland

PASS IT ON ….!

Thank you for the following suggestions and recommendations since the last Newsletter and please keep your recommendations coming in.

The Owl, Kingsfold

“CrabShack”, Worthing seafront

Palm Court, Brighton Pier

Carlyles, Felpham

The Lodge Café, Swanbourne Lake, Arundel (opp Wetlands)

The Seal, Selsey

Wellies, West Stoke (delicious GF cakes)

Mama Mia, Aldwick

Fino (Italian) Felpham

Note: The above are personal suggestions received from Members. We advise you to contact a venue before visiting and please be sure to check regarding ingredients.

Update on Weatherspoons. In response to concerns expressed by many of you about the

Weatherspoons’ chain labelling of gluten free items on their menus, we contacted the head office of

Coeliac UK. We have received the following reply:

“We have recently met with Weatherspoon’s to clarify concerns surrounding the Halloumi fries

listed on their gluten free menu. Weatherspoon’s have confirmed that although the Halloumi

fries are not cooked in a separate fryer they do carry out regular testing to confirm the

absence of gluten in the fries. While the results consistently show the Halloumi fries contain

less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten, Coeliac UK maintains the position that clean oil

and separate fryers should be used for frying gluten free foods to minimise the risk of cross

contamination. Currently the degradation of gluten in fryers is not established and due to

continuous advances in fryer technology further research is required to underpin this

statement.

We hope this clarifies any concerns you may have and we have done our best to get more

clarity on this situation. For people with coeliac disease we understand your confusion around

this matter, please know it is our absolute intention to ensure your safety when eating out.

Therefore we maintain our position that clean oil or a separate fryer should be used for frying

gluten free foods as there is always a risk of cross-contamination.”

Are you an avid Facebook/other media follower? Can you send any posts you find relevant to matters GF to our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/westsussexcoeliacuk/)? Or news of new GF products/local GF eateries is also most welcome. Or pass to any committee member. Thank you!

STAY IN TOUCH

We would love to receive your contributions, news, recipes, local information or recommendations, suggestions for events or how we may better provide support for you, to be shared with others in future newsletters or via our social media pages. Please do send them to us.

You can keep in touch with what’s going on, or contact the West Sussex Coeliac Group by:

E mail - westsussex@coeliac.org.uk

Website - www.coeliac.org.uk/local-groups/west-sussex/

Facebook – www.facebook.com/westsussexcoeliacuk/

Twitter -www.twitter.com/CoeliacWSussex

Our preferred method of contact is by email. If you do not have e mail, we would encourage you to provide the email of a family member or friend or neighbour. We often receive very short notice of events and do not have the manpower to send out letters in time. We do not want you to miss out!

Please ensure all your details on the Coeliac UK website are up to date. You can check them on line at www.coeliac.org.uk or telephone Coeliac UK on 0333 332 2033. If you no longer wish to receive communications from us, please amend your details on the Coeliac UK website.

Just a reminder that copies of the latest Newsletter will be available at our events.

The personal information that you have provided will be used by West Sussex Coeliac Group for the administration of and

fundraising objectives of the charity and for no other purpose.